Ikea ad upsets Thai Trans group

ScandAsia news Newsdesk

BANGKOK: -- Thai Transgender Alliance is protesting against IKEA Global for its 'negative and stereotypical' advert.

Thai Transgender Alliance have sent an open letter to IKEA to complain about a 'negative and stereotypical' advert, Gaystarnews reported.

The offending advert, called Luem Aeb (meaning 'forget to deceive'), was broadcast on Bangkok's sky train system from 28 December 2012 to 13 January 2013 and on YouTube.

'The MTF transgender/transwomen character is openly mocked as being "deceitful",' read the open letter to IKEA from Thai Transgender Alliance.

'The transgender content of the advertisement is negative and stereotypical in nature, perpetuating misunderstanding transgenderism as human sexuality for "deceitful and deviant lifestyle".'

The advert shows a woman who is so surprised by a sale item that she speaks with a male voice. The man she is with looks shocked and horrified. The last scene of the advert shows the man running away as the woman carries a box of flat-packed furniture by herself.

The letter from Thai Transgender Alliance demands that IKEA Global issue an official public statement about the advert.

You can watch the video here:

Source: http://www.scandasia...42&coun_code=se

-- ScandAsia 2013-01-24

Why dont they pick on the ladyboy in the advert for selling them out? Oh yes he/she is Thai therefore CANNOT be wrong!

I wonder how they felt about the sperm bank robbery ad?

Watch any of these silly comedy shows or series and you'll see ladyboys being mocked.

Just turn on Thai TV at any given time of day...

I've heard that they can be very deceitful...especially at around 2am after a heavy night out.....

Ikea is not getting it right in many ways here !

Warning !!

Ikea home delivery is overcharging big times !

Compared with their advertised rates on ikea.co.th di they want 8 times the price when i asked.

I was lucky that a good man in Ikea told me to check their delivery rates before i paied (a man employed by Ikea) and he was right !

So i kicked the wagon with goods for 35.000 back in the shop !!

They wanted to charge 7500 Baht for less then one M/3 to Khon Kaen, advertised rate is 900 Baht.

So take care !!!

The ad is creative and fun - what IS the problem? There are far worse, far more 'sensitive' ads out there.

Sort of frightening to see how well he switches from a male voice to a female voice..........

Storm in a D-cup!

If you want a tranny controversy, there's been a much better one in Britain this month.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/williamhenderson/100008672/in-trying-to-unpublish-julie-burchill-the-observer-displays-its-ignorance-of-the-internet/

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100198116/here-is-julie-burchills-censored-observer-article

Jesus. Someone needs to tell them about Thai culture and Thai humor. And lighten the #$( up. She's a pretty chick in a funny ad. Get over it.

I am all for equal rights and respectful of all humans but I dont think this is really that deceitful.

The most deceitful thing about the ad is that those boxes usually weigh around 50 kgs!

You gotta be Arnold Schwartzenegar to throw them over your shoulder like that

Ikea is not getting it right in many ways here !

Warning !!

Ikea home delivery is overcharging big times !

Compared with their advertised rates on ikea.co.th di they want 8 times the price when i asked.

I was lucky that a good man in Ikea told me to check their delivery rates before i paied (a man employed by Ikea) and he was right !

So i kicked the wagon with goods for 35.000 back in the shop !!

They wanted to charge 7500 Baht for less then one M/3 to Khon Kaen, advertised rate is 900 Baht.

So take care !!!

Off topic...

900 THB is base rate. No other delivery to your area and the truck goes for you alone and that adds another 6400 THB as advertised. Sometimes it's better to read more than the first page. They are actually straight forward with their pricing and all is available as PDF file for download.

Edited January 24, 201313 yr by shunima

Why dont they pick on the ladyboy in the advert for selling them out? Oh yes he/she is Thai therefore CANNOT be wrong!

That's a bit of an assumption, isn't it? Forgive me, but you seem in need of a rest home cure.

I don't see all that much 'derogatory' towards the transgender grouping in this brief vdo; slightly humorous perhaps,and at best.

On the subject of "transgender" have you seen this amazing vdo-clip:

Certainly blew me away !

Worth a look & listen.

they are not over sensitive when are alleged to rob tourists

The ad is creative and fun - what IS the problem? There are far worse, far more 'sensitive' ads out there.

There is no problem. This is simply a lucky break for some special interest group that got media attention from some bored reporters. I mean; who gives a shit about this? The curious thing here is that it is the media who choose this sort of material to present to the public.

It's simply a letter of protest sent to the ones who made the author of the letter feel compelled to do so; nothing more, nothing less.

Tomorrow it could be a story of how the Hmong Hilltribe people are upset that Ikea does not represent their ethnic culture near enough in their ads. Who knows? It doesn't even have to be a letter with these dumb-ass reporters. I have found that they will actually go out ind interview anyone they like and twist what the interviewee says just so they can get a story written. Yes! That is exactly how ignorant and stupid these reporters are.

It really all comes down to the reporters, and what they choose to write and what their editors choose to send to print. That does not, however, necessarily make it newsworthy to you and me.

Edited January 24, 201313 yr by cup-O-coffee

I often find myself speaking in a different voice when I inadvertently say something that "horrifies" the Mrs (I wonder how close I am to getting the op for free)

Edited January 24, 201313 yr by Stjohnm

Ikea is not getting it right in many ways here !

Warning !!

Ikea home delivery is overcharging big times !

Compared with their advertised rates on ikea.co.th di they want 8 times the price when i asked.

I was lucky that a good man in Ikea told me to check their delivery rates before i paied (a man employed by Ikea) and he was right !

So i kicked the wagon with goods for 35.000 back in the shop !!

They wanted to charge 7500 Baht for less then one M/3 to Khon Kaen, advertised rate is 900 Baht.

So take care !!!

Although Thailand is very cheap in terms of transportation, you cannot be serious about transportation cost of 900 Baht for a 700km delivery round trip to Khon Kaen.

Before making overcharging accusations check their website properly.

The costs are clearly stated.

Ikea is not getting it right in many ways here !

Warning !!

Ikea home delivery is overcharging big times !

Compared with their advertised rates on ikea.co.th di they want 8 times the price when i asked.

I was lucky that a good man in Ikea told me to check their delivery rates before i paied (a man employed by Ikea) and he was right !

So i kicked the wagon with goods for 35.000 back in the shop !!

They wanted to charge 7500 Baht for less then one M/3 to Khon Kaen, advertised rate is 900 Baht.

So take care !!!

Ahhhhh IKEA T.I.T

I don't see all that much 'derogatory' towards the transgender grouping in this brief vdo; slightly humorous perhaps,and at best.

On the subject of "transgender" have you seen this amazing vdo-clip:

Certainly blew me away !

Worth a look & listen.

Seems that he/she's balls....

Ikea is not getting it right in many ways here !

Warning !!

Ikea home delivery is overcharging big times !

Compared with their advertised rates on ikea.co.th di they want 8 times the price when i asked.

I was lucky that a good man in Ikea told me to check their delivery rates before i paied (a man employed by Ikea) and he was right !

So i kicked the wagon with goods for 35.000 back in the shop !!

They wanted to charge 7500 Baht for less then one M/3 to Khon Kaen, advertised rate is 900 Baht.

So take care !!!

Although Thailand is very cheap in terms of transportation, you cannot be serious about transportation cost of 900 Baht for a 700km delivery round trip to Khon Kaen.

Before making overcharging accusations check their website properly.

The costs are clearly stated.

Indeed the lower fee is for Bangkok, i paid 600 for a bkk delivery. I love Ikea its my shop.

I liked the add its just a joke some people have no humor.

i think it is very funny.

shes pretty hot to boot

Ikea is not getting it right in many ways here !

Warning !!

Ikea home delivery is overcharging big times !

Compared with their advertised rates on ikea.co.th di they want 8 times the price when i asked.

I was lucky that a good man in Ikea told me to check their delivery rates before i paied (a man employed by Ikea) and he was right !

So i kicked the wagon with goods for 35.000 back in the shop !!

They wanted to charge 7500 Baht for less then one M/3 to Khon Kaen, advertised rate is 900 Baht.

So take care !!!

Warning, better read the delivery rates BEFORE purchasing..

Delivery rate for zone C and more

Edited January 24, 201313 yr by mortenaa

Sort of frightening to see how well he switches from a male voice to a female voice..........

Female voice? Oh, you mean his female voice!

But really interesting, in Thai TV it's so normal, in an ad-video of a foreign owned company, it's offensive.

Amazing Thailand

As has been said already, will the Thia soaps apologise too? They mercilessly take the piss out of the LBs.

They're normally pretty good sports to be frank, don't mind taking the mickey out of themselves half the time. Except the Pattaya "ladies" who have a penchant for beating people up of course.

And another "stereotype" that becomes painfully obvious over this non-issue: Thai transgender people have no sense of humour. As the saying goes, "humour is if you can have a laugh about yourself".

Watch any of these silly comedy shows or series and you'll see ladyboys being mocked.

Correct. But now it's IKEA and the Transgender alliance will certainly eplore this opportunity to show that they have the balls to pressure this large organisation into an apology or else.... I guess they will not shop at IKEA anymore..

The letter from Thai Transgender Alliance demands that IKEA Global issue an official public statement about the advert.

as reported by Gay-star news (interesting name).

Edited January 24, 201313 yr by Nickymaster

Why dont they pick on the ladyboy in the advert for selling them out? Oh yes he/she is Thai therefore CANNOT be wrong!

"Oh yes he/she is Thai therefore CANNOT be wrong!"

Sort of a nice change of pace from the usual TV fare of farang good: Thai bad.